


A to Z, baby love me

by SmallTownSlytherin



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Bondage, Fluff and Smut, I don't want spoilers, M/M, handjobs, trying to tag the heavy stuff here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmallTownSlytherin/pseuds/SmallTownSlytherin
Summary: Derek and Spencer Reid have a pretty great life, and they wouldn't change it for anything.





	A to Z, baby love me

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks to my beta Fangirl00193. My works would not be possible without her. Go check out her work.
> 
> This story contains bondage, edging, first times, and various other kinks.

**A is for Aftercare**

Spencer is beautiful through the light shining in from their open bedroom curtains. His pale skin is bathed from distant street lights below, and the full moon above. That pale skin that Derek loves to watch become covered in his love bites on delicate collarbones, or bruises from his thumbs on sharp hip bones. His soft curls fan out on the pillow, minus the few that stick to his face and neck with sweat. Honey-brown eyes blink slowly, every now and then long lashes brushing pink tinted cheeks, their gaze focusing on Derek. Soft pink lips curl into a smile. 

“How you holdin’ up there, Pretty Boy?” Derek whispered, running a cold rag over Spencer’s forehead.

“Hmm.” Spencer replied with a soft smile, gazing up at Derek. His eyes still have that far away look, glazed over with aftermath of an (more like several) intense orgasm. 

“Glad to hear that.” Derek whispered, kissing his forehead. His thumb stroked Spencer’s cheek. “You’re beautiful, you know.”

“Mhm?” Was the reply, Spencer’s eyes closed as he scooted closer to Derek’s bare chest. 

“I love you.” Derek told him, bending down to press their lips together.

“I love you, too.” Spencer laced their fingers together. It was a small gesture of intimacy and contact, but it meant all the same to Derek as he pulled the bed sheets over them.

**B is for Bondage**

While there are so many downsides to the job that Derek and Spencer do, there are a few benefits that come from it. One of those benefits, Derek learns quickly, are the handcuffs. Sure, the thrill of locking the cold metal around the wrists of the serial killer they’ve been chasing for weeks gives him a sense of pride. It makes him feel good knowing he’s taking a sick bastard off the street as he makes sure the handcuffs bite into the unsub’s skin when he jerks them off the ground. However, it’s different when they’re biting into his own skin, locked around their headboard, keeping him from touching Spencer. They’re a very experimental couple. A lot of the things they try isn’t something Derek expects from Spencer, but he isn’t complaining. Derek isn’t complaining when Spencer is standing at the foot of the bed, biting his lip as he strips himself down while Derek lays handcuffed on their bed in just his boxers. He isn’t complaining when Spencer crawls over him and kisses him, tracing his tattoos, the defined lines of his abs, the scars from knife fights and bullet wounds. He isn’t complaining when Spencer cups his face and molds their lips together, their tongues fighting for dominance. And he for sure isn’t complaining when Spencer’s warm lips and tongue travel down his body, kissing and licking until they reach the band of his briefs. 

“You sure do know how to tease, pretty boy.” Derek grinned, watching as Spencer slowly pulled down his briefs. 

“So I’ve been told.” Spencer chuckled, taking Derek’s cock in his hand and starting to stroke it, watching his head fall back with a moan.

“Fuck.” Derek whispered as Spencer took his cock in his mouth. Spencer’s mouth was good for many things, and sucking cock was just one of them. He definitely didn’t have a gag reflex, because he took Derek’s cock effortlessly down his throat, all while making direct eye contact. Spencer liked to tease, maybe indirectly, but he was pretty damn good at it. 

Spencer ran his tongue along the slit of Derek’s cock, making his arms jerk. So badly, he wanted to wrap his hands in Spencer’s mess of curls and pull. 

“Don’t cum,” Spencer demanded, grabbing a bottle of lube and drizzling it on Derek’s cock. “I’m not done with you yet.” 

Derek sucked in a deep breath as Spencer slowly sank down on his cock, leaning forward to connect their lips. 

“Fuck, pretty boy. You drive me wild,” Derek whispered.

“Hmmm.” Spencer balanced his hands on Derek’s chest, slowly starting to bounce up and down, head tilted back. It exposed his sharp jawline, his long neck and those delicate collarbones Derek loved so much.

It didn’t take long before they were both tumbling over the edge, moaning into each other’s mouths as they came. 

“I love you.” Derek said as Spencer unchained his wrists, rubbing the sore skin. 

“I love you too. Are you okay? Bondage can mentally-” 

“Pretty boy, hush. No facts, no stats. Just you, me, and a whole lot of after sex cuddles. You down for that.”

Spencer smiled slowly. “Uh. Yeah. I’m...down for that.”

Derek laughed and pulled Spencer into another kiss.

 

**C is for Clothes Fetization**

It’s a weird thing to be turned on, he’ll admit that. But there’s something about seeing Spencer in his clothes that just makes his stomach turn- in a good way. While they’re practically the same in the height department, Derek is well built and muscular, and Spencer is skinny and lanky. So while there’s a risk of Derek tearing Spencer’s sweater vests, Derek loves seeing to see Spencer wear his button-downs to work. It’s baggy in all the right places, and the sleeves are too long so they have to be rolled up. That doesn’t last long though, because they usually roll back down within the hour. His favorite thing is lazy Sunday mornings, on their rare times off. Sitting in the kitchen, sipping coffee, wearing a sweater that goes to his mid-thigh and gives him sweater paws, mismatched socks and his incredibly messy bedhead- that’s what Derek loves seeing Spencer in. And if Derek can convince Spencer to put down his morning read for a blowjob against the counter, well, that’s an even better start to the morning. 

“You’re annoying, sometimes.” Spencer said, with no clear hint of annoyance in his voice as Derek pinned him to the counter by his hips, nosing along his jaw. 

“Hmm, you sure about that?” Derek gave him a quick kiss before dropping to his knees and taking Spencer in his mouth right away. 

Spencer let out a half moan, half gasp, leaning back into the counter and grabbing the tile for support. 

“Hmm. That’s what I thought.” Derek hummed as he ran his tongue along Spencer’s cock, then taking him fully. 

“You look hot in my sweater.” He told him, running his tongue around the head of Spencer’s cock. 

Spencer gasped as he came, head falling back. 

“Hmm, that didn't take much. If you can get off on praise and a little blowjob, I wonder what else I can do to you.” Derek whispered, kissing Spencer’s thigh.

Spencer glared at him. “Don’t get too many ideas.” 

Derek just chuckled and patted Spencer’s ass. “Better get dressed. I want to take you into town, and I have the perfect shirt for you to wear- and rip off you when I bring you back home tonight and fuck you until you can’t walk.”

Spencer gulped. “Show me in this shirt. Now.”

Grinning, Derek led him to the bedroom.

 

**D is Domesticity**

When it was first brought up, it didn’t seem as scary. Now, that they’ve actually caved and done it, it’s kind of scary. They went out together to several open houses to see what some of the nearby neighborhoods could offer them. Of course, they had considered the two possibilities they already had- Spencer’s apartment and Derek’s house. Spencer’s apartment wasn’t big dog friendly. His building was most elderly with yappy mutts, and it didn’t have a big fenced in yard for Clooney to run and play to his heart's content. It was also pretty small to try and squeeze in all of Derek’s stuff. While Derek’s house was bigger, it still wouldn’t feel quite like home. So they decided to find a new home together. 

“I really like this one.” Spencer said as they sat in the driveway of a beautiful, two story house that had a very nice country feel to it. 

“Me too. But four bedrooms is kind of a lot for us, don’t you think?” Derek turned to look at Spencer curiously. He could instantly tell he was about to start rambling, so he steeled himself.

“Well, yes. But there’s a lot of possibilities. Obviously, we would sleep in the master bedroom. And then there’s a guest room. And the other two could be made into anything we want. One could be an office and the other could be your- your ‘man cave.’ It could be some doggie paradise for Clooney. Or-or it could be a bedroom for any children...we have?”

Derek looked at him for a while. While they had mentioned having kids one day, Derek never thought they would be buying a house big enough for kids so soon. He knew Spencer loved kids and always secretly wanted children of his own. Derek personally wouldn’t mind a few little ones running around, but having a child with this type of career was a big load. He had learned that from JJ and Hotch. But having children with Spencer did sound nice. In the mornings, they would get the children up for school and make them breakfast. In the afternoon, they would help them with their homework. On sunny weekends they’d watch them run around in the backyard. Yeah, children with his pretty boy sounded great.

“I...I think that sounds perfect.” he said eventually. 

Spencer smiled slowly. “You..you really think so?”

“Spencer Reid, there’s a lot of things I know. I know that we may have only been together for a few years, but that’s a damn good time. We have a lot to look forward to, and I think this house being filled with our children is just one of them.”

Smiling, Spencer leaned over and kissed him. “Let’s go back to the house and put in an offer for this one, and then get into bed.”

“Hmm.  I like the sound of that.” Derek grinned, kissing him back and carefully calculating what size ring Spencer wore. For future reference, he told himself.

 

**E is for Edging**

While bringing his partner over the edge is a great thing, Derek loves the look on Spencer’s face right before he’s about to cum. His head tilts back to expose his long neck, his lips part ever so slightly, and his eyelashes flutter until he comes with a sharp gasp. However, Derek sometimes likes to watch that face teeter on the edge, and then pull away at the last second and watch it crumble in frustration as he denies Spencer an orgasm. Cruel, maybe, but it’s all worth it for him to build Spencer back up to orgasm- and pull away again. 

“Derek!” he whined, body shaking as he took his hand off Spencer’s cock. 

“Hmm? Can I help you with something, pretty boy?” He hummed, leaning over and giving him a kiss.

“I know what you’re doing. Stop it.”

“I don’t think so. I like watching you sit right there on the edge over and over again.”

“It’s not fair.” Spencer whispered, glaring up at him. 

“Maybe not. But in the end, when I give you an intense orgasm, you’ll be thanking me.”

 

**F is First Time**

When they first got together, sex wasn’t something they really talked about. It wasn’t important to them. But eventually soft, shy pecks turned into heavy, hot kisses, and their hands stopped hesitating at one another’s hips and began to dance a little lower. The first time they stumbled into bed together, lips still connected, they only broke apart long enough for Derek to mutter, “Is this okay?” and for Spencer to whisper back, “Yes.” 

Derek pulled off Spencer’s sweater and let it drop to the side, instantly trailing his nose along the other’s pale jaw, neck and collarbones. “God, you’re gorgeous, pretty boy.” He whispered. 

A pretty pink blush spread across Spencer’s cheeks and shoulders. “Undress a little more and talk a little less.” he whispered in return. 

“Oh? Dominant, eh? I like that.” Derek chuckled as he pulled his own shirt off, watching Spencer lick his lips as his eyes trailed Derek’s muscles. At first, Spencer had been hesitant about them being together. Derek could snap his fingers and have anyone he wanted, while most people wouldn't even consider Spencer. But to Derek, that meant all the more, because he could keep his pretty boy to himself. 

“Shut up.” Spencer replied, their hips brushing together. Derek groaned softly, hands tracing over the various scars his lover had. Some from childhood, but most from their job. The bullet wounds, the knife wounds, the gashes from serious injuries- it all came with the job. He made sure to pay attention to every single scar, kissing it to remind himself he could have lost Spencer, but here they were together. 

They seemed to be doing a lot of heavy grinding and kissing before Derek ran his fingers along the waistband of Spencer’s pants. “Are you still okay with this?”

“Yes.” Spencer told him seriously, eyes glazed over. 

Derek smiled and slowly pulled off Spencer’s pants, then his, then their underwear, until they were both naked. Reaching over into their dresser, he pulled out some lube and condoms. 

“How long have you had that?” Spencer hummed curiously, watching Derek roll on the condom, then coat his fingers in lube.

“Not too long. I felt we might be nearing this step, so I just wanted to be prepared.” Derek pressed a finger into Spencer slowly.

Spencer’s back arched, a slow breath leaving him as he allowed his body to accept the digit.

**G is for Gentleness**

“Alright, pretty boy. Let’s get you inside.” Derek kept his arm wrapped around Spencer’s waist. “You got roughed up today.” 

“You don’t say.” Spencer groaned, sinking down onto the couch and closing his eyes. He’d gotten into a fight with the unsub, and as a result, had a black eye, a cut across his cheek and forehead, a minor concussion, two cracked, ribs, a sprained wrist, and a twisted ankle. 

Derek sat an eye pack on his head and kissed his forehead gently. “You still caught the guy.  Next time, leave the tackling to me or Hotch, okay?”

“He was going to get away if I didn’t do it.” Spencer mumbled, opening one eye to give Derek a look. 

“We would have caught him regardless. That bastard had nowhere to go.” 

“Hmm. The odds were better if he were detained sooner than later.” 

“The odds are always better if they’re caught sooner than later, Spencer. That doesn’t mean you should be getting in boxing matches with angry criminals three times your size.” Derek scolded. 

Spencer sighed. “Fine. Next time I’ll let them get away.”

Derek kissed the top of his head. “Thank you. Now let me tend to your every need.”

**H is for Handjobs**

It was longer a question if they were going to share a hotel room or not. They had been sharing a hotel room for years. When they started sharing an office, no one shrugged their shoulders or raised an eyebrow. Everyone at the BAU was not surprised or shocked when Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid announced they were dating. The office was the perfect mixture of Spencer and Derek. It was filled with files of paperwork and stacks of books. There were two desks, although most of the time they were both crammed at the same desk, looking at the same casefile. It was a wonder they got anything done. The office door always stayed shut, and everyone knew better than to enter without knocking first. 

“What are you doing, pretty boy?” Derek hummed as Spencer came up behind him, running his hands down Derek’s chest. 

“Oh, nothing.” Spencer hummed, chin on Derek’s shoulder as his hands continued to travel lower and lower. He began to unbutton Derek’s pants and unzip them, then reach into his briefs. 

“Pretty boy.” Derek hissed, glancing to the closed office door and the drawn blinds. 

“Don’t worry. Everyone knows the rules. Don’t come to your office if the door is closed.” Spencer hummed, taking Derek’s cock in his hand and starting to stroke it. 

“You’re getting awfully bold.” Derek hummed, tilting his head back.

“Maybe.” Spencer kissed Derek’s jaw, running his thumb over to head of Derek’s cock. “I learned from you.”

“Then I taught you-oh fuck-I taught you well.” Derek clenched his teeth as Spencer’s slim, skilful fingers continued teasing him. 

“You sure did.” Spencer’s breath was hot against his neck as he continued stroking Derek to orgasm. Derek had to cover his mouth when he came, eyelashes fluttering. 

Spencer smirked, handing him some tissues so he could clean himself up. “You should hurry. We’ve got a case in an hour.” He slipped out the door without another word, and Derek could only watch him go, hypnotized. 

**I is for Intelligence**

Each member of their team had their own special traits. For Spencer, he had his intelligence. Sure, everyone on the team was incredibly smart, but Spencer was the team’s go to when they needed answers. Put a book in front of him, and he could have it read in less than an hour. He would always have the answers they needed, no matter the topic. Sometimes, you could tell he was afraid his babbling annoyed the team, but honestly, Derek loved his random statistics. It helped him learn things he would never know if it wasn’t for Spencer. If Derek ever needed to know something, he would ask Spencer, and without a doubt, Spencer would have the answer. 

“Hey, Spence, how many inmates are on death row?” Derek looked up from his files he was flipping through. 

“2,672.” Spencer didn’t even blink at the question or look up from his most recent book.

“Hm. Thanks, pretty boy.” 

The day would continue before Derek would have another question. He would be in the kitchen, preparing dinner. “Spencer, which has more calories, rice or beans?”

“There is 206 calories in one cup of cooked white rice and 670 calories in one cup of raw pinto beans.” Spencer came over to the counter. “Why are you calorie counting? You’re going to work it off anyway.”

“I’m trying to pack the calories on you. You need them.” Derek leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Spencer shook his head with a fond smile. 

**J is for Journeys**

“How’d you manage to arrange this vacation for us?” Spencer looked nervous as their car rolled smoothly down the highway.

Derek drummed his fingers on the steering wheel along to the music playing in the background. “It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit, but don’t you worry about that. This week is just going to be me, you, and Clooney- we are going out of state, though.” In the backseat, Clooney lifted his head before lowering it, not interested. 

Spencer hummed and looked at the book in his lap. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“Because it’s a surprise. But don’t worry- I’m not taking you somewhere you would hate.”  Derek promised. “It’s a long drive, so I hope you brought a lot of books.”

“I’ll just reread them.” Spencer shrugged, flipping a page in his book.

Derek shook his head and smiled fondly. He stopped for gas about two hours later, got them some snacks, let Clooney use the restroom, and they continued their drive. 

Spencer eventually leaned his seat back and fell asleep. By the time they finally reached their hotel, Derek was ready to sleep. “Come on, pretty boy. We’re at our hotel.” he yawned. 

They checked in, carrying in all their bags. Clooney jumped onto the foot of the bed and settled down right away. After a quick shower, Derek climbed into bed and fell asleep, holding Spencer close. 

The next morning, Derek give Spencer anytime to waste. He made him wear a blindfold as they drove to the surprise destination. 

“Okay, blindfold off.” Derek said as they pulled into the parking lot.

Spencer looked around slowly as his eyes adjusted. “Are...are you serious?” he whispered in excitement. 

“I’m serious.” Derek chuckled. “Spencer, welcome to The Museum of Science and Industry.” 

Spencer leaned over and kissed him deeply, brown eyes sparkling. “Derek Morgan, I love you.”

**K is for Kids**

They had discussed kids and adoption several times before. They for sure wanted to start a family together. It was just the obstacles standing in their way that was a problem. For example, their job was probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest. With the unpredictable, long hours, there was no telling how much time they could actually devote to a child. But JJ and Hotch managed to do it, so surely they could too. They second was the fact they were a gay couple. The adoption process was hard enough, and for same sex couples it was even harder.

“Are you sure we want to do this?” Spencer whispered as they got out of their car. 

“Yes.” Derek adjusted Spencer’s tie. “It’s either now or never, pretty boy.”

Spencer nodded. Taking Derek’s hand, they walked into the well-built building, holding their heads high. 

“Hello! How can I help you today?” the woman behind the desk flashed them a pearly white smile, lips painted pearly red. Her long pink nails tapped on her keyboard, and her hair was a curly orange color. She reminded Derek of Penelope, almost. 

“We have an appointment.” Derek cleared his throat. “For Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid.” he watched her long nails clack away before she nodded. 

“Yes, here you are. Have a seat, and you’ll be called shortly.”

Derek thanked her and they sat down. As promised, it wasn’t long before they were called into an office by a lady who introduced herself as Amber. “Are you interested in a boy or a girl? Age range?” she didn’t seem concerned by the fact they were a gay couple.

“Well, actually, we were thinking about twins, if possible.” Spencer spoke up. “We know that’s not likely, but we would like to try. As for age range, anywhere between the ages of six months and six years, for starters.”

Amber raised an eyebrow, typing on her computer for a long time. Finally, she turned her monitor towards them. “This is Felix and Farah. Two year old twins from Ireland. They’ve been in foster care all their life and never found a permanent home, so it would be good for them to finally settle down. If you’re interested, paperwork can be started today.”

Derek and Spencer glanced at one another before nodding. With a deep breath, they began filling out the stack of papers Amber shoved at them. 

Months later, when all hope seemed lost, they got a phone call from Amber. “Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid?”

“This is Spencer Reid.” Spencer felt his hand shaking as he put the phone on speaker and glanced at Derek. 

“I’m calling in regards to Felix and Farah. You’re application has been submitted successfully. If you’re still willing, they can be brought to your home within the month.”

“Yes.” they answered at the same time.

“Great.” they heard the smile in Amber’s voice. “Congratulations, you two.”

After they ended the phone call, they began setting up the room for the twins and making sure they had plenty of clothing and toys. As promised, Farah and Felix arrived after a quick home inspection later that month. 

“Felix and Farah Morgan-Reid.” Derek said as they carried the sleeping twins inside. “Welcome home.”

**L is for Love**

Saying “I love you,” for the first time is a big step. It’s a huge step, in fact. It’s scary and if someone says it too soon it can ruin everything. Derek had been saying “I love you,” to Spencer for years. There was always a moment here and there where he would ruffle Spencer’s hair with a fond grin and say, “I love ya, kid.” However, he still remembers the first time he said, “I love you,” to Spencer, and the first time Spencer said it back.

Things were different now. Now that they were a couple, saying I love you had an entirely different meaning. For Derek, it meant he was ready to settle down with Spencer for the rest of his life, perhaps with two or three kids and a dog. But he wasn’t sure what it meant for Spencer. For Spencer, he had so many fears deep within himself he was afraid to commit. He had lost the Maeve, the first person he had truly allowed himself to love, and she had been killed right before his eyes. He was afraid of allowing someone else to love him, for the fact he might become schizophrenic, following in the path of his mother, leaving the ones brave enough to love him behind. 

Derek, however, was ready to face these challenges head on. The first time he said I love you to Spencer was while they were sitting in Spencer’s apartment, having a Doctor Who marathon. Spencer was just so into it, honey brown eyes reflecting the television screen. If anyone else was there, it would be obvious that Derek was paying more attention to Spencer rather than the TV.

“Hey, Spence?” Derek muttered, surprised when Spencer actually turned away from the action on the screen to look at him. It made him more nervous, honestly.

“Yeah?” Spencer raised an eyebrow, leaning against the piles of pillows they had collected on the couch. 

“I...I love you, Spencer.” Derek said firmly, clearing his throat. “I love you.”

Spencer just stared at him in shock for a long time, profiling him, thinking. “I love you, too.” he said finally. 

That was enough for Derek. He didn’t need to hear anything else.

**M is for Marriage**

Spencer wasn’t sure what to expect from this date. All he knew is Derek told him to dress nice, as it wasn’t going to be one of their usual dates. This date was special. 

So here he was, sitting in this fancy restaurant Derek had told him to meet him at, sitting his best suit and nervously tapping his foot.

“Hey there, pretty boy.” Derek grinned, suddenly appearing and sitting down across him. He looked as delicious as ever.

“Hi.” Spencer smiled, sitting up and sipping the champagne the waitress had served a moment ago. 

“Have you ordered anything yet?” Derek opened his menu, eyes glancing over all the options. 

Spencer shook his head. “Nah. I was waiting for you.” 

Derek nodded, and together they ordered. Once their food arrived, they chatted and ate. Spencer was failing to see how this was different from any of their other dates, beside the fact this restaurant was a bit fancier than usual. 

“So what is on your mind, Derek?” Spencer sat down his champagne glass, shaking his head at the waitress when she offered to refill it. His stomach was churning. He couldn’t help the doubts that were running through his head. Did Derek want to end their relationship? They had been through a lot, but Derek had a lot of reasons to break up with Spencer- mainly finding someone better. 

“Well...pretty boy, we’ve been together for about four years now. I think that’s pretty damn good if you ask me.” Derek grinned, leaning closer.

“Yeah?” Spencer still wasn’t sure where this was going, and he continued to be anxious. 

“Yeah.” Derek had reached into his pocket by now. “And I really like the idea of that lasting forever. So...Spencer, I really want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to move into a huge house with lots of kids and a dog. I want us to work doing what we love until we retire together.  I want us to grow old together. Spencer Reid, I know you would hate it if I made a huge scene, so…” Derek slid an open ring box across the table. “Will you marry me?”

Spencer started at the ring box in shock. Inside the soft white cotton was a simple golden band, perfect for Spencer. 

“Yes.” Spencer whispered, then cleared his throat, looking up at Derek. “Yes.”

Derek beamed, reaching over and putting the ring on Spencer’s finger. “Soon enough, you’ll be Spencer Morgan-Reid.” 

“Spencer Morgan-Reid.” he repeated, the name sounding like heaven to his ears.

**N is for New**

They had just finished moving into their new home when Derek decided Clooney needed a playmate. Why, Spencer wasn’t sure. It had taken him months to get used to Clooney and now he was going to have to adjust to another dog. Not to mention the fact they had two young children running havoc around the house. Sighing, Spencer couldn’t bring himself to say no to Derek’s (or the twins) puppy dog eyes. 

After they unpacked everything and had settled into their house for a few weeks, Spencer finally was unable to find anymore excuses on getting out of going to the animal shelter. They all piled into the car and headed out.

It didn’t take Derek long to find the perfect dog. Sitting in the corner was a brown and white boxer, friendly looking but ignored. 

“This one. We’re taking this one.” Derek said without a second thought. 

Spencer chuckled, turning to the staff member that was kind enough to follow them around. “I guess we’re taking that one.”

The worker nodded, clipping a leash onto the dog’s collar and letting her out of her cage. “Her name is Stargazer, because she’s got a pattern on her belly that looks like the Big Dipper. But we just call her Star.”

“Well, Star.” Derek took the leash as Felix and Farah gently pet her. “I hope you’re ready to come home.”

**O is for Online**

“I miss you.” Derek sighed as he looked at the pixelated image of Spencer on his computer screen. 

“I miss you, too.” Spencer smiled. Derek had to go see his mother in Chicago when she fell ill, and Spencer stayed behind with the kids. “How is your mom?”

“Doing better. Upset she doesn’t get to see her grandkids.” Derek chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “She says hello, and that she misses you.”

“I miss her too.” Spencer loved Derek’s mother. She had taken him in immediately and given him the motherly love and affection his own mother had never been able to give him. 

Derek sighed, resting his chin in his palm. “I should be back at the end of this week. Don’t you worry. How are the twins?”

“They’re doing well, but they like your bedtime stories more than mine.” Spencer said, running a hand through his hair.

“Spence, baby, you gotta tell them something for their dreams, not read from a textbook.” Derek chuckled fondly. 

Spencer just shrugged. “I’m teaching them young.” he defended himself. 

Derek chuckled again. “Get some sleep, pretty boy.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Spencer smiled, getting one last look at Derek’s face before ending the call.

Despite the fact they were a good eleven hours away from one another, when they fell asleep, they went to sleep with thoughts of each other.

**P is for Patience**

The kids had been screaming all night. Farah had caught the flu at daycare, and immediately passed it to Felix, and now they had two sick, screaming children. It was pure torture, that was for sure.

“I’m going to lose it.” Derek groaned, running a hand over his face as he rushed a bucket to Felix seconds before he got sick.

“Be patient, Derek. They don’t feel well and having a temper won’t help.” Spencer said camly. He was running a cool rag over Farah’s forehead, frowning at the girl’s temperature. 

“I’m being patient!” He stressed. “But I’ve been thrown up more times than I would like to.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow at the raise in Derek’s voice. Derek was sometimes shocked at how calm Spencer would be around kids and germs and well...everything. He knew Spencer wanted kids and he finally got that wish, but he was impressed. 

“Patience...right.” he repeated, helping Felix lay back down and accepting another cold rag from Spencer to press to his feverish head. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to a long night of vomiting, tears, and rushing around.

The kids took an entire week to fully recover from the flu altogether. However, as soon as it seemed the flu was done plaguing their home, Derek began to feel sickly. 

“Patience.” Derek told himself as he found himself rushing to empty the content of his stomach. “Patience.”

**Q is for Quilt**

“What’s in this?” Spencer raised his eyebrow as they walked up to their porch. There was a medium sized box sitting on their doorstep, waiting their arrival.

“It’s from mama.” Derek bent down and read the shipping label. “She didn’t mention she was sending anything.”

“Huh. Maybe it’s her cookies.” Spencer said hopefully, unlocking the front door as Derek carried the box inside. While it wasn’t heavy, it was more….hefty. 

Derek got a box cutter once he sat the box down on their kitchen table, carefully slicing the tape on the box. “It’s a...a blanket?” he said after flipping the flaps.

“A blanket?” Spencer peeked into the box with him. “Not cookies?”

Derek hummed and carefully lifted the fabric out of the box, spreading it out. “No, not a blanket. A quilt.”

Together they studied the quilt. It was a beautiful blue and black piece of geometric patterns, but the most important thing about it was the family portrait sewn into the middle. It was the first picture Derek, Spencer, Farah, and Felix ever took together. They were all smiling, eyes glowing with happiness. At the top of the blanket was “Morgan-Reid.” family, and at the bottom was “Established May 5, 2015.”

“This is beautiful.” Spencer whispered, running his hand over the soft quilt.

“It really is. Let’s call mama and tell her thank you.” Derek placed the quilt on the back of their couch, then pulled Spencer close as they picked up the phone.

Sometimes, he really loved his life.

**R is for Rain**

It had been raining all week. The street drains were working hard to keep the roads from flooding, but the roads were slowly starting to flood. There had been wrecks on nearly every corner, and those who couldn’t afford to miss work had opted for taking the subway or walking instead of driving. 

Derek was thankful for his jacked up truck, because he still had a few more days before he could no longer drive it through the streets of rain.

As he and  Spencer arrived at the BAU, they found a parking spot and dashed for the door, unhappily soaked by the time they got inside. 

“Damn.” Derek chuckled, trying to dry himself off the best he could with a wad of paper towels. “You think this rain is ever going to stop?”

“Not for at least another week.” Spencer sighed. “We’ve already gotten 6.456 inches of rain, and we can expect another estimated 5.983 over the week.” 

“Good to know.”  Derek hummed, heading to his office. The day ran smoothly, with no case for once. It was just a day filled with paperwork and chatter among their friends and co-workers. By the end of the day when Derek and Spencer clocked out, it was still raining to no one’s surprise. 

“You know, pretty boy, I don’t think there was a break in the clouds once. We may get more rain that you thought.” Derek hummed as they stood in front of the doors, preparing to run towards their truck.

“Maybe. Let’s do this.” Spencer took Derek’s hand and together they sprinted through the rain to the truck.

“Derek!” Spencer groaned as Derek stopped suddenly, causing them to become even more soaked than they had been that morning. 

Derek grinned, pulling Spencer close and kissing him. He knew it was cheesy, kissing his husband in the rain like a terrible romance movie scene, but he couldn’t help it. Rain clung to Spencer’s eyelashes, and he looked adorable with his wet shirt clinging to him and his hair soaked. 

Grinning, Derek pulled away. Spencer offered a smile. 

“Let’s go home before we get sick.” Spencer hummed, lacing their fingers together.

**S is for Spooning**

They have it set in stone. Spencer is the little spoon. He normally sleeps on his left side, facing the window. His hair, messy in his sleep, is all over the place, including in his face. Long eyelashes brush his cheeks, fluttering when he starts to wake up. He doesn’t snore, but soft breaths leave his barley parted lips. 

Derek is the big spoon. He sleeps with one arm under Spencer with wraps under his chest, the other wrapping around the top of him. His arm goes numb in his sleep and takes a while to regain blood flow in the morning, but he can’t bring himself to care. Unlike Spencer, he snores. While it took Spencer a while to adjust and fall asleep next to the noise, now the vibrations of his chest actually lure him to sleep at night. 

They’ve had this system for years now. The very first time they spooned, it was actually before they were together. There was an incident getting enough beds for everyone, and Derek and Spencer were the unlucky ones who ended up sharing a queen size bed. They thought they could make a pillow divider in the middle, but when they woke up in the morning, the pillows were on the floor and Spencer was in Derek’s arms. They pushed away from one another, making various excuses, and pretended it never happened. 

The second time they spooned, they had gone on their first date. Derek actually wasn’t supposed to stay the night, but they fell asleep together on Spencer’s couch. It’s not easy to spoon on a couch big enough for one person, but they somehow managed it. The following morning was a little less awkward, but they still weren’t sure where they stood. 

The times after that, they actually meant to spoon one another. Derek held Spencer close, nuzzling the back of his neck in his sleep and kissing him, telling him how great he was until they both zoned out. Spooning Spencer was perfect, and Derek wouldn’t change it for a thing

**T is for Tea**

They’re both coffee drinkers, no doubt. They need a cup to get them going in the morning, and they’ll both have a few cups throughout the day. 

Spencer knows tea is a great cure for several things. If you have a stomachache, you can drink ginger tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, even licorice tea. Feverfew tea is great for a stomach ache. 

Derek is stubborn. He doesn’t believe drinking tea is going to cure all his problems, but then again, he refuses to drink it. He thinks chugging half a bottle of Nyquil and taking a nap is the solution. 

“Come on, Derek. You’ve had this stomach bug for half the week now. Just drink this.” He shoved the cup of ginger tea into Derek’s hands, giving his best stern look.

Derek glared back, taking a sniff of the tea and wrinkling his nose. “Smells awful.”

“It’s not supposed to smell great, it’s suppose to help you. Now drink it.” He demanded. 

Taking a deep breath, Derek sipped the tea, resisting the urge to gag. “Tastes awful.” 

“I didn’t say it was going to taste good. Now drink your tea if you want to feel good.” 

Derek sighed, forcing himself to drink the tea and zoning out about a ten minutes later. Smirking proudly, Spencer covered him in a blanket and let him sleep. When Derek woke up, he had to admit he was feeling better than he had been hours before.

“Hey.” Spencer whispered, coming into the living room. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good.” he hummed. “Better than earlier.”

“What did I tell you?” Spencer raised an eyebrow. “The tea works.”

“Okay.” Derek chuckled, covering himself back up. “Power of the tea, pretty boy. Power of the tea…”

**U is for Undressing**

The shoes come first. They kick their shoes off by the front door as they get home from work, humming as their feet are relieved. Next come the socks, which only make it into the laundry basket half of the time.

Then the shirts. They usually land somewhere on the floor while warm hands explore chests and stomachs, moving along to run up and down each others backs. The pants are next. Belts unbuckled, zippers down, then pants kicked off to join the shirts. Whether it’s meant to be an intimate moment or they’re just helping one another get into bed after a long day at work, things always go slow as they lean against one another for support. Things are always slow between them, and it’s healthy and happy. It’s good for them, because they’re Spencer and Derek. It’s how they like it, and how they’ve always liked it.

**V is for Vulnerability**

“I know you don’t like talking about it.” Spencer whispered as he sat down next to Derek. “But you know as well as I do that sometimes we should.”

Derek clenched and unclenched his fists, eyes drilling a hole into the floor. “I don’t want to talk about it, Spencer.” 

Spencer sighed. He had been expecting this. “I know. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Please. I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for you.”

“I don’t need a pity feel better speech.”  Derek resisted the urge to raise his voice. “I’m not a child anymore.”

Spencer kept calm and quiet. “Okay.” he said simply.  “Whenever you’re ready.”

Derek had been having nightmares for weeks about Carl Buford. Why they started now or how long they were going to last, they weren’t sure. They didn’t know how to stop them, they just knew it was putting a strain on their relationship.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” Spencer stood up after they sat there in silence for a few minutes. 

Derek reached out and grabbed his hand, taking a deep breath. “I was a little kid. Honestly, I don’t even really remember how old I was. At first, I didn’t see what was going on was wrong.”

Spencer nodded patiently, slowly sitting back down and letting Derek continue. 

“By the time I figured out something wasn’t quite right, it was too late. Buford had taken advantage of me far too many times.” Derek still hadn’t made eye contact with him, or glanced up from the floor. “He killed me inside, Spence.”

“I can’t even imagine. But I’m here to support you, to show you my love for you. We have our ups and downs and that’s why I’m here. You were here for me. Now it's my turn.”

Derek smiled weakly, resting his head on Spencer’s shoulder. They didn’t have to say anything. The silence was enough.

**W is for Writing Notes**

The first note comes scrawled across a napkin with a muffin and a cup of coffee. Spencer smiles fondly as he reads Derek’s quick handwriting. It’s quick and simple.

“Pretty Boy, Have a great day. -Derek. Xx”

Chuckling, Spencer puts the napkin in his go bag and enjoys his breakfast. 

Two days later, Derek finds a piece of paper in his jacket pocket. They’re just returning from a rough case, and Derek had really been affected by it. A young girl had went missing, as well as several of her closest friends. In the end, the girl’s uncle had kidnapped them all and was trying to use them for sex trafficking. They had rescued the victims, but they had been brainwashed to believe what they were doing was okay and that they didn’t need saving. Derek didn’t understand how these girls wanted to live the rest of their life in a dirty basement selling their bodies to grown men. They would never go to school, never get married, never see another sunset. But then again, unsubs worked in weird ways. To make it worse, the unsub killed himself before they could bring him into justice.

Derek glanced down at the note, finding a poem. 

“Nature’s first green is gold. Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; but only so an hour.  Then subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so dawn goes down today, nothing gold can stay.” - Robert Frost.

Derek smiled, putting the note in his pocket and glancing out the window just as the last rays of the sun faded away. Of course Spencer would find some metaphor to make him feel a little bit better. Spencer always made him feel better.

**X is for Xenophilia**

Derek was bored. Very, very bored. Although he loved Spencer very much, he did not love having Star Trek marathons. He was not a fan of the movie line, but he couldn’t bare to tell Spencer and crush him. Although Spencer would probably make him watch it anyway if he knew he didn’t care for them.

They were halfway through movie number….actually, Derek had no clue what number they were on. The point was his thoughts had wondered to things that had nothing to do with Star Trek. 

“Hey, Spence.” he nudged Spencer to break his extreme concentration. “If you were to sleep with Spock, would it be considered xenophilia?”

Slowly, Spencer turned to face him. “What.” he deadpanned. 

“If you were-”

“No, no.” Spencer held out his hand. “I heard you. I meant why were you even thinking about something like that?”

“I don’t know.” Derek shrugged his shoulders. “So, would it? I mean, you got to admit, sleeping with the captain can get you pointers. So...if you sleep with Spock is it considered xenophilia?”

“I...I don’t know.” Spencer looked overcome, finally faced with a question he wasn’t able to answer. “I mean….it depends. Are we alien too? Or are we human?”

“Human. You’re just you’re everyday self, you just happen to be sleeping with Spock from Star Trek.” 

Spencer grabbed a notepad and began to frantically write on it.

“I don’t think there’s a math equation for one’s kinks, pretty boy.” Derek chuckled.

“There’s a math equation for everything.” Spencer pointed the pencil at him. However, twenty sheets of paper and a worn out pencil later, Spencer still had no answer. 

“So...xenophilia?” He raised an eyebrow at Derek. “Something you want to tell me?”

Derek just laughed and started the movie again.

 

**Y is for Young**

With all good marriages, there comes roadbumps. And those roadbumps can be anything, really. It wasn’t a common thing for Derek to freak out, but he was bound to have a slip here and there. 

Derek happened to realize that there was a eight year age difference between himself and Spencer. While he knew it could be much larger and there were some couples with much bigger age differences, he felt as if Spencer was so….so young and could find someone closer to his age. He could find someone who wasn’t going to age faster than him, age away before his eyes and possibly pass away before him. 

“Really, Spence, I’m so old compared to you. You’re the baby of the team, the kid.” Derek tried to reason.

“The baby? The kid?” Spencer sighed, running his hand over his face. “Is that  what you were thinking all those times we had sex? Or when we adopted the children?”

“No.” Derek groaned. “But you could find someone closer to your own age. Someone young like you. Someone who isn’t going to slow down like I am, or someone who isn’t going to waste away as quickly. You can keep doing this job for years, Spence. I’m going to have to slow down one of these days.”

“Please, Derek.” Spencer rolled his eyes. “Your health is in excellent condition. There’s no reason for you to be worrying about retirement right now. Have you seen Rossi? He’s still working and he’s doing great. If you’re so worried about how young we are, then maybe we shouldn’t have gotten together in the first place.”

“Please don’t say that.” Derek pleaded. “I love you so much. I’m sorry, okay? I just...I feel like you could have someone better than me.”

“Derek Morgan.” Spencer said firmly. “There is no one I would rather have than you, okay? And if that’s not good enough, then I’m sorry. Because you’re stuck with me.”

Derek chuckled and shook his head. “I guess I can put up with you a little longer.”

**Z is for Zoo**

“What do you mean you’ve never been to the zoo?” Derek seemed stressed as he helped Farah put on her shoes. Spencer was zipping Felix into his jacket. 

“I never went to the zoo.” Spencer shrugged. “My mother didn’t seem like it was an important thing to do, and by the time I was old enough to learn about it myself, she was already sick.”

“Zoo!” Farah chirped, clapping her hands. 

Derek chuckled. “That’s right, my girl. We’re going to the zoo. And your father is going to see what he’s been missing.” 

“I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal.” Spencer rolled his eyes as they walked out to their car, strapping Felix and Farah into their car seats and heading off. They got to the zoo and headed inside, deciding to start from the left and make a circle. The first animals they saw were the monkeys. 

“Why are the monkeys at the front of the zoo?” Spencer raised an eyebrow. 

“Because little kids like monkeys?” Derek shrugged. “Don’t overthink it, love. Just enjoy it.” He watched Felix and Farah look at the animals with great interest. 

Eventually Spencer fell into the loop of the zoo, sprouting off statistics to the children that the signs didn’t explain, causing looks of wonder from everyone around them, including the zookeepers.

“Spencer Reid, you never fail to amaze.  It’s no wonder I fell for you.” Derek whispered, leaning over and kissing his cheek as they continued walking, each of them holding onto one of their children’s hands. Derek knew from this point on, life was only getting better.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please let me know if you have any recommendations.


End file.
